As Hawks prepare to face Ducks, the second line holds the key

Published at 10:03 AM CST on Jan 17, 2014

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While their fans may be celebrating the coming weekend, the Chicago Blackhawks have a tough task ahead of them, as they take on the Anaheim Ducks and Boston Bruins at the United Center. As part of our coverage of these two games, we’ll take a look at our Friday batch of Hawks Headlines.

Saying that he was on a “short leash,” Andrew Shaw discussed his first two games as the second line center for the Hawks on Thursday, and it was interesting to hear him say that he needs to really keep playing hard in order to keep Joel Quenneville’s trust. [Chicago Tribune]

Speaking of that second line, Shaw is finding some really good chemistry with both Brandon Saad and Patrick Kane, and Tracey Myers has more on that story. [CSN Chicago]

Unfortunately for the Hawks, their third line isn’t finding the same success as the second line, and Scott Powers has more on what Quenneville had to say about their shortcomings. [ESPN Chicago]

What’s eating Bryan Bickell? Our favorite stats geek Jen is back with a bunch of graphs and cool information about the Hawks’ $4 million man and his recent struggles. [Second City Hockey]

The Blackhawks are one of the best teams in the league when they are playing from ahead, but they all too often have been playing from behind as of late. That must change if they are going to get through the tough stretch ahead of them. [Daily Herald]

How does Quenneville choose which defenseman plays in the sixth slot next to Nick Leddy? Apparently, there isn’t much of a science to it. [Chicago Sun-Times]

The Blackhawks’ top prospects generally come from junior hockey leagues, but with the emergence of guys like Kevin Hayes and Stephen Johns among others, the NCAA is becoming a breeding ground for success for the Hawks. [Committed Indian]

On Thursday, Hawks captain Jonathan Toews celebrated the three-year anniversary of his 100th career goal, and Mackenzie McCluer has a pretty cool picture of the moment. [Blackhawks.com]

Finally, the Rockford IceHogs hosted their annual School Day game on Wednesday, and in honor of that occasion, they hosted a Spelling Bee for the guys on the team to show their skills.